Spatial-temporal evolution and drivers of ecological sustainability of coastal fisheries in China

Marine fisheries are an important source for the survival and economic livelihood of the world's population. With coastal economic development, rapid population growth, and advances in fishing technology, oceans and coastal areas have been placed under greater environmental pressure. Therefore, the sustainability of coastal fisheries must be revisited. This study used the 3D ecological footprint (EF) model and partial least squares (PLS) to analyze the spatial-temporal evolution of the ecological sustainability of coastal fisheries in China, and discuss the direct and indirect impacts of drivers from economic, social, and technological perspectives. Results showed that the gap between per capita EF and per capita biocapacity (BC) of coastal fisheries narrowed until it stabilized from 2010 to 2020. Footprint depth and size wholly showed a fluctuating upward trend. In terms of spatial distribution, footprint depth was high in the north and low in the south, and footprint size was a relatively scattered. Consumption pull had the largest effect on the ecological sustainability of coastal fisheries in China, followed by the economy push, but the effect of technology suppression was not significant. Some policy recommendations for sustainable fisheries governance were proposed in terms of consumption structure transformation, fisheries industry upgrading, and ecosystem-based management. This study indicated that the current development of coastal fisheries in China is sustainable from an ecological supply and demand perspective. The findings provide information on effective coastal fisheries governance and broad coastal and ocean management, and have the potential to provide references for sustainable fisheries governance in other coastal countries with similar contexts.